Welt support for sole attaching machines



May 2, 1939. 5. J. FINN 2,156,281

WELT SUPPORT FOR SOLE ATTACHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet l S. J. FINN May 2, 1939.

WELT SUPPORT FOR SOL E ATTAOHING MACHINES s Sheets-Shet 2 Filed Jan. 6, 1957 y 1939- 5. J. FINN WELT SUPPORT FOR SOLE ATTACHING MACHINES Filed Jan. 6, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Fig; 4:.

Patented May 2, 1939 WELT SUPPORT FOR SOLE. ATTACHING MACHINES Sidney J. Finn, Beverly, Mass., assignor to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Paterson, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application January 6, 1937, Serial No. 119,303

14 Claims.

This invention relates to welt supports and is herein shown and described as embodied in a new and improved mechanism for supporting and pressing a welt or other marginally projecting portion of a shoe against the margin of the sole which extends beyond the last, in opposition to the pressure applied to the outer face of the sole in the sole'attaching operation. It is to be understood, however, that the invention may be used in other machines where a similar structure or function is desired. In the present instance the invention is shown as applied to a sole attaching machine in which a cemented sole is attached to a shoe by the application of pressure.

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved welt support which will be easily operable and adaptable to shoes of a wide range of sizes and shapes, and an important feature of the invention consists in the provision of a welt sup- 2 port which is readily adjustable to shoes of different lengths and widths which are similarly positioned with respect to their ball lines upon the pressure pad of a sole attaching machine.

In the illustrated embodiment of the invention 5" the welt support comprises a pair of welt engaging side members which are movable toward and from each other transversely of the pad and a separate, unconnected, welt'engaging toe piece positioned between the'said side members. The side mem- 30 bers are normally not movable longitudinally of the pad but are capable of sufficient adjustment to permit their rear ends to be set in correct relation to the ball line position upon "the pad, while the toe piece is freely movable longitudinally of 35 the pad between the side members to positions determined by the locations of the toes of individual shoes positioned with respect to their ball lines upon the pad.

Another feature of the invention resides in the 40 provision of mountings for the elements of the welt support which provide for variations in the transverse position of the shoe and sole upon the pad. This may be accomplished by interconnecting the side members of the. welt support by an 45 equalizer so arranged that the said side members may be moved toward or from each other to engage the shoe properly, or release it, regardless of the transverse position of the shoe.

50 A further feature of the invention relates to an which is normally substantially rigid but which by the application of a moderate degree of heat, as by immersing it in hot water, becomes capable of 55 being easily altered in shape to conform closely to improved welt engaging and supporting member' the shape of that portion of the shoe which it is designed to engage.

These and other features of the invention and advantages derived from the use thereof will be better understood and appreciated from reading 5 the following detailed description of one practical embodiment thereof in connection with the accompanying drawings in which Fig. 1 is a plan view of a welt support embodying the invention; 10

Fig. 2 is a view in front elevation of the toe member and its mounting;

Fig. 3 is a view in front elevation of the welt support and the pressure-applying member;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the adjustable pressure- 15 applying member with parts broken away to reveal the internal structure; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are end views on the left and right ends, respectively, of the pressure-applying member.

The welt support and the welt-operating apparatus of my invention are illustrated herein as embodied in a Cement sole attaching machine of the type disclosed in United States Letters Patent No. 2,047,185, granted July 14, 1936, upon an application filed in the names of Milton H. Ballard et a1. and includes some of the features disclosed and claimed in my copending application Serial No. 110,713, filed November 13, 1936.

The sole attaching machine includes, as is usual,

one or more pad boxes 10 each of which contains a pressure pad l2 upon which a cemented sole and a shoe are supported while attaching pressure is being applied. Carried by the pad box I0 are upright, stationary posts [4 and I6 upon which are mounted for approximately horizontal pivotal movement a pair of swinging arms I8 and 20, respectively. Each of these arms has an end extension 22, 24 through which is threaded an adjustable stop screw 26, 28 serving to limit the outward swinging movement of the arms around their pivots I, I6.

Each arm carries a horizontal pin 30 which serves as a pivot for a vertically swinging carrier 32 in which is inserted an upright pin 34 connected by a spring 36 to a stationary portion of the apparatus. An adjustable screw 38 threaded through the arm I8 or 20, as the case may be, limits the upward swinging movement of the carrier 32 under the influence of its spring.

The arm l8, or 20, and the carrier 32 and slide 46 supported thereon may, as a whole, be regarded as a compound arm which is adjustable as to its total effective length and is downwardly yieldable against the tension of the spring 36.

The two side members 46 and 48 of the welt support are carried, respectively, by the free ends of the arms I8, 32, 40, and 20, 32, 40. Passing loosely through the outer end portion of each of the elements 40 is a pin 50 fixed to a block 54, which, in turn, carries an upright pin 56 serving as a pivot for the side member 46 or 48 mounted thereon by means of ears 58 aifixed to the outer face of a sheet metal band 60 to which the welt engaging member is attached. The welt engaging members 46, 48 are made of a very firm grade of soft rubber and are removably secured to the bands 60 by pins 62.

A bolt 64, secured in the slide 46 and surrounded by a compression spring 66, passes loosely through a hole in the end of the plate 68 which is affixed to the under side of the block 54. By virtue of this construction the block 54 and the welt supporting element-sustained thereby are enabled to pivot about the axis of the pin 50, being normally held yieldingly in the illustrated position by the spring 66.

through the slide but permits yielding move- A compression spring 10, interposed between the block 54 and the band 69, normally holds the welt supporting element against the point of an adjustable stop screw I2 which is threaded ment of said element about the axis of the pin 56 to accommodate the element to the position of the shoe to be engaged by it. It will be apparent that the pivots 50 and 56 provide for universal movement of the welt engaging member about the point at which their axes intersect and that the pivot 30' provides for bodily up and down movement of the welt engaging element in accordance with the height of the welt crease of a shoe on the pad I2. By virtue of the screw and slot connections 42, 44, each of the welt engaging elements 46, 40 may be initially adjusted independently, longitudinally of the pad, to position their ball engaging portions in correct relation to that portion of the pad upon which the ball line portion of the shoe should be placed.

Movably positioned between the side members 46 and 48 is aseparate, unconnected toe piece I4 for engaging and supporting the welt at the toe end of the shoe. This toe piece is preferably made of thermoplastic material, such as a hard rubber composition which is substantially rigid at ordinary room temperatures but which is capable of being sufiiciently softened by subjection to a moderate degree of heat, as by immersion in hot water, to permit its shape to be altered sufiiciently to conform quite closely to the shape of the toe of any ordinary shoe. As soon as it has cooled it again becomes rigid and maintains the shape to which it has been formed.

The toe piece 14 is afiixed to a clip comprising a pair of parallel ears 76 joined by a transverse pin 18 adapted to engage in a notch which is formed in a toe piece sustaining arm 82 secured by screws 86 to a block 88 which is pivotally mounted at in a carrier member 92. The pin and notch connection I8, 80 is so arranged that the toe piece 14 may be easily detached from the arm 82 by merely tilting the toe piece upward into a hori- Zontal position and sliding the pin out of the a slide 98 by which the plate 96 is carried. The carrier 92 is split and is recessed to provide a bearing for a disk I00 to which is secured a handle I02. A pin I64 extending downward from the disk I00 engages in a slot in the plate 96 so that when the handle I02 is turned the carrier 92 is swung about the screw 94 as a pivot, causing the toe piece I4 to be adjusted to the right or left relatively to the shoe. At the split portion of the carrier 92 a clamping screw I08 provides for clamping it tightly upon the disk I00 to lock the adjustment.

Longitudinal adjustment of the toe piece 14 is effected by an adjusting screw IIO threaded into the plate 96 and having a groove H2 engaged by a fork I I4 secured by screws I I6 to the slide 98. A set screw I I8 may be tightened against the screw H0 to lock this adjustment.

The slide .98 is grooved at its edges, as shown at I20, and moves longitudinally of the pad I2 upon stationary guide bars I22. The slide is connected by a link I24 to the upper end of a lever I26 which is movable about a stationary pivot I28. 'A spring pressed pin I30 acting upon the lever below the pivot I28 tends always to move the slide 98 and the toe piece I4 toward the right, as viewed in the drawings. Pivoted at I32 to the lower end of the lever I26 is a link I34 which has a lost motion connection at I36 to the lower end of a shoe gage operating rocker member 692 which is a part of the sole attaching machine and which is designated by the same reference numeral in the Ballard et a1. patent previously referred to. The only purpose of this connection of the lever I26 to the rocker member 692 is to cause retraction of the toe piece I4 toward the toe end of the pad when the pressure applying head of the machine is away from over the pad and the welt support is opened up to permit the easy insertion of a shoe. At this time a compression spring I38 acting upon a tail piece I40 extending to the left from the block 88 also causes the toe piece "I4 to be raised somewhat from the surface of the pad.

As in the machine disclosed in said Ballard et a1. patent, pressure is applied to the work to effect attachment of the sole to the shoe by a lever 3I6 bearing upon the upper side of a member 332 supported by a swinging upright 306 and carrying a toe pad 395, all of which elements are designated by the same reference characters as in the said Ballard et a1. patent, to which reference may be had for a full disclosure of those details of the sole attaching machine which are not part of the present invention.

According to the present invention, the side members 46 and 48 of the welt support are swung toward or from each other automatically by the swinging movement of the upright 306. To this end, a bracket I42, secured to the side of the upright 306, is provided with an opening through which passes loosely a rod I44 surrounded by compression springs I46 and I 48 behind and in front of the bracket I42 respectively. The front end of the rod I44 is pivotally connected at I50 to an arm I52 of a bell crank lever which is movable about the axis of the post I6. The other arm I54 of the bell crank lever is pivoted at I56 to the center of an equalizing bar I 58 from the ends of which depend pins I60 engaging in notches In the ends of arms I62 and I64 which are integral, respectively, with the arms I8 and 20. It will be apparent that when the upright 306 is swung backward, as it is when the machine is in its inoperative state, the arms I8 and 20 will be swung outward away from each other and the welt supporting side members 46 and 48 will consequently be widely separated to afford space for the introduction of a shoe. When the upright 306 is pulled forward preparatory to the application of the sole attaching pressure, the side members 46 and 48 will be moved into engagement with the shoe, the spring I48 yielding to accommodate shoes of different widths and the interconnection of the two arms I8 and 20 by the equalizing bar I58 permitting the shoe to be placed as desired transversely of the pad.

For the purpose of applying downward pressure to the welt support when the sole attaching pressure is applied to the shoe there is provided a horseshoe-shaped pressure member I66 which is suspended from a vertically slidable member 52 corresponding substantially to the similar element which is designated by the same reference numeral in my copending application Serial No. 110,713, previously mentioned. As disclosed in the said application, the member 52 and the pressure applying member I66 are adapted to be lowered by a manually operated dog 04, the structure and operation of which are illustrated and described in detail in the said application and do not form any part of the present invention.

The present invention does, however, include novel features of construction, arrangement and mounting of the pressure applying member I66, which are illustrated in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 and will now be described.

A casting I68 in which the pressure member I66 is mounted is provided with upwardly extending ears I10, I12 which are bored to receive pivot pins I14 and I16 respectively. The member 52 is likewise bored to receive these pins and the pin I14, which passes loosely through the ear I10, is secured in the member 52 by a set screw I18, while the pin I16, which is secured in the ear I12 by a transverse, tapered pin I80, fits loosely in the bore in the member 52 and is engaged by a friction plug I82 which may be tightened or loosened with respect to the pin I16 by a screw I84. Normally the setting of the screw I84 is such as to provide sufficient friction upon the pin I16 to maintain the pressure applying member at an angle to the horizontal, while permitting its inclination to be readily changed when desired.

Pivotally secured in the toe end of the casting I68 by means of a screw I86 are two sheet metal carriers I88, I90 the forward ends of which overlap and form a hinge joint of which the pivot is the screw I86. The actual pressure applying member I66, which is a continuous horseshoeshaped piece of a firm grade of soft rubber, is secured to the carrier members I88, I90.

Adjusting screws I92 and I94 are threaded through lugs I96 and I98 which are secured, respectively, to the carrier members I88 and I90 and reduced portions of the screws, near their heads, are received in notches formed in ears 202 and 204 integral with the casting I68.

The structure just described provides for independent transverse adjustment of the rear ends of the pressure member I66 in order to change the width, shape and position of the pressure member to cause it to register properly with the welt supporting side members 46 and 48 in the various positions which the latter may assume in accommodating themselves to shoes of different sizes and shapes.

Referring to Figs. 4, 5 and 6, 206 indicates a U-shaped plate of tapered or wedge cross section which may be inserted between the carrier members I88, I90 and the top of the rubber member I66 in order to provide more pressure upon the welt upon one side of the shoe than upon the other, as is sometimes required. This plate is reversible so that the extra pressure may be exerted at either side, as desired.

In the operation of the apparatus, it being understood that when the machine is at rest the upright 306 has been moved backward as indicated by the arrow. on Fig. 1 and the welt engaging side members 46, 48 are widely separated, a cemented sole and shoe are placed upon thepressure pad I2 with the ball line of the shoe in correct relation to the break in the pad and the toe of the shoe against the toe piece 14. In thus positioning the shoe the toe piece yields forward readily, against the tension of the: spring pressed pin I30, permitting the shoe to be positioned upon the pad as desired.

The upright 306 is now drawn forward, causing the welt engaging side members 46, 48 to be yieldingly closed upon the sides of the shoe, in engagement with the welt. At this stage both the side members and the toe piece may be corrected in respect to their positions so that they engage snugly in the welt crease of the shoe. The machine is then started and the pressure applying member I66 descends with the toe pad carrying member 332, applying attaching pressure to the shoe and the welt. The universally movable and yielding mounting of the Welt engaging members permits the welt support to descend with the shoe as the latter is pressed down into the somewhat yielding pressure pad I2.

Having described the invention, what is claimed as new and desired to be secured by Letters Patent is:

1. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, the combination of a pair of welt engaging side members which are relatively movable toward and from each other transversely of the pressure pad of the machine, and a separate, unconnected, welt engaging toe piece positioned between said side members and movable longitudinally thereof.

2. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, the combination of a pair of welt engaging side members which are relatively movable toward and from each other transversely of the pressure pad of the machine and normally immovable longitudinally thereof, and a separate, unconnected, welt engaging toe piece positioned between said side members and movable longitudinally thereof.

3. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, the combination of welt engaging si-de members, means permitting adjustment of said members longitudinally of the pressure pad of the machine to position their rear ends in correct relation to the ball line of the pad, and a separate, unconnected, welt engaging toe piece which is freely movable between and longitudinally of the side members, while the latter are stationary, in response to pressure from the toe of a shoe when the shoe is positioned upon the pad.

4. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, the combination of welt engaging side members mounted to swing toward and from each other over the pressure pad of the machine, and a separate unconnected, welt engaging toe piece disposed over the pad between the side members and mounted to slide longitudinally thereof in response to pressure exerted by the toe of a shoe.

5. In a welt support for a sole attaching maswing around a fixed, upright pivot, a horizontal pivot joint in the arm whereby the end of the arm can move vertically, meansfo-r adjusting the length of the arm, and a welt supporting member carried by the end of the arm.

6. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, the combination of an arm mounted to swing around a fixed pivot, means for adjusting the length of the arm, a welt supporting member carried by the end of the arm, and a universal joint connection between the welt supporting member and the arm.

7. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, the combination of a pair of spaced angle levers mounted to swing around separate, fixed pivots, welt supporting side members carried by the swinging ends of two of the arms of the angle levers, an equalizing bar connecting the other arms of the angle levers, means acting upon the center of the equalizing bar to swing the arms carrying the welt supporting members simultaneously in opposite directions, and means for pressing the welt supporting members against the exposed face of the welt of a shoe.

8. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, a welt engaging and supporting member consisting of thermo-plastic material which is substantially rigid at ordinary room temperature but is capable of being softened by a moderate degree of heat sufiiciently to permit its shape to be readily altered.

9. In a Welt support for a sole attaching machine, a welt engaging and supporting member consisting of a thermo-plastic hard rubber composition which is substantially rigid at ordinary room temperatures but is capable of being softened by immersion in hot water sufiiciently to permit its shape to be readily altered.

10. A quickly detachable toe piece structure for a welt support for a sole attaching machine com- 2,166,281 chine, the combination of an arm mounted to prising a welt engaging toe member having a 7 clip projecting from its outer face, a pin fixed in said clip, and a sustaining arm against which the toe member is adapted to be held, said sustaining arm having a notch, for the reception of said pin, facing away from the toe member and the toe member being rendered disengageable from the arm by rocking it about the axis of the pin.

11. A pressure member for engagement with the welt support of a sole attaching machine, comprising a pair of carriers hinged together at their toe ends and a continuous, horseshoe shaped pressure applying element of rubber secured to both of said carriers.

12. A pressure member for engagement with the welt support of a sole attaching machine, comprising a pair of carriers hinged together at their toe ends, a continuous, horseshoe shaped pressure applying element of rubber secured to both of said carriers, and means for independently adjusting the free end of each of said carriers toward or from the other carrier to conform the shape of the pressure applying element to that of the welt support which it is to engage.

13. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, a slide movable longitudinally of the pressure pad of the machine, a pivot carried by the slide, a carrier member mounted for transverse swinging adjustment about said pivot, and a welt engaging toe piece supported by said carrier member.

14. In a welt support for a sole attaching machine, a slide movable longitudinally of the pressure pad of the machine, a pivot carried by the slide, a carrier member mounted for transverse swinging adjustment about said pivot, a spring supported arm upon the carrier member, and a welt engaging toe piece supported by said arm.

SIDNEY J. FINN. 

